Terms & Conditions Apply. Hot Tub Care Limited trading as Happy Hot Tubs is a credit broker and is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Credit is provided by Novuna Personal Finance, a trading style of Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Services Register no. 704348. The register can be accessed through http://www.fca.org.uk When it comes to sanitising your hot tub with chlorine there are two ways to do so; using chlorine tablets or chlorine granules. Chlorine granules can be poured straight into your hot tub’s water whereas chlorine tablets need to float in a dispenser or feeder. The water in a wood-fired hot tub is not automatically flushed or changed, which means that if the water isn’t changed regularly algae and bacteria will begin to grow, in addition to the contaminants which are added to the water every time it’s used… think shampoo, washing products, sweat, make up etc. These all build up in the water over time, reducing water quality. In addition, bromine has less odour than chlorine and does not produce any by-products (unlike chlorine, which produces chloramines, responsible for “chlorine odours” and eye and skin irritation). Bromine is therefore very suitable for hot tub treatment. It should be noted that it is a little more expensive than chlorine.

Before we go on, it’s important to note that traditional wooden hot tubs (those without an internal liner) are not suitable for use with chemicals. In the case of Royal Tubs, only our fibreglass and lined tubs are suitable for use with chemical water treatment. For pH, you want it between 7.4 and 7.6, TA between 80 and 120 ppm, and CH between 175 and 250 ppm. Many people enjoy the simplicity of a wood-fired hot tub in part because there is no requirement to chemically treat the water, and the use of such chemicals should not be thought of as mandatory. Indeed, the majority of wooden hot tub owners enjoy their peaceful retreat without ever using them.Exposure to chlorine in swimming pools can cause a rash. Chlorine rash may be confused with swimmer’s itch or heat rash. It is VERY important that the filters are cleaned regularly otherwise the water flow will be restricted and the spa will automatically shut down. The following diagnostic messages may appear on your touch pad if your filters are dirty; FLO, Heater Dry, LF, DR, OHH, or -- (two lines). In bromine hot tubs, the ideal level is between 3 and 5 ppm. Unlike chlorine, there is no “combined bromine” level. The term pH is a way of describing whether your wateris acidic or alkaline. The pH scale works from 0-14 with7 being neutral. Anything below 7 is classed as acidic, and anything above 7 is considered alkaline.You must keep your pH level within the range of 7.2 to 7.8, and ideally 7.2 to 7.4 or you may experience some of the following problems:

Did you know? Chlorine or bromine should have barely any odor if used correctly. 'Swimming pool smell' is actually the result of chloramines or bromamines—chemical compounds released when the sanitizer mixes with unwanted contaminants. The type on the left is cheaper and more common, but also less sophisticated. The top has an opening and the bromine tablets are placed inside. You twist the bottom to try to limit how much water can get inside, but it's not the most accurate mechanism in my experience. You can use crushed bromine tablets, either to establish an initial bromide bank or reserve in your hot tub, or (in small amounts) to top up your spa's bromide reserve in place of tablets.Break down Chloramines – sanitiser reacts with bather pollutants such as perspiration or dead skin, and produces a less effective chemical compound called chloramines which needs to be broken down. Chloramines have a strong chlorine odour that is often mistaken for too much chlorine, and make the water appear cloudy. Your hot tub will need to be treated with a Sanitiser to control and prevent bacteria growth. Bacteria can multiply rapidly in a hot environment, so you must maintain an appropriate sanitiser level to ensure any bacteria in the water is killed. There are two main sanitisers available to keep your hot tub clean and these are chlorine and bromine. Option One – Chlorine Over time, the chemicals will react with the wood, causing grey-scale (where small grey flakes will come off the wood and end up in the bathing water) and ultimately decaying the structure of the wooden hot tub. Why Use Chemicals In Your Wood-Fired Hot Tub?

Silver based treatments are less reactive again than chlorine or bromine, although they are primarily used for the control of algae in the water. While the prospect of a chlorine rash may dampen the fun of swimming, most of these rashes are not serious.

Chlorine tablets are fantastic at killing bacteria and making your hot tub safe. An upside of tablets is they dissolve over a period of time, meaning you have a constant supply of chlorine caring for the water. However, this has its own risks as not enough chlorine could be dissolving into the water as needed. Some bromine dispensers can hold up to 6 tablets, but in most cases you should start with just 1-2 to avoid your bromine levels climbing too high. It’s not uncommon for people to react to chemicals differently (which may affect your guests). All chemicals have the potential to be dangerous, and should be used, handled and stored with the utmost care and diligence. If you use a dispenser like the Life Deluxe Spa/Hot Tub/Pool Chemical Floating Tablet Dispenser, it can take 2-3 months before all the tablets dissolve, at least on the lower settings. This is the slowest and most controlled way to dissolve bromine tablets that I've found since owning a spa. Can you use crushed bromine tablets in a hot tub? Most test strips will allow you to test for either chlorine or bromine. If your test strips are 4-way (or higher) this means they can test for both. If you only have 3-way chlorine test strips, then you will need to buy some new bromine-compatible test strips.

If you do use a bromine floater, it's fine to take it out while you're using the spa if you find it gets in the way. How many bromine tablets should you put in your spa? Water can only be chemically maintained for so long before excess build-up occurs and it needs replacing. The active oxygen must be supplemented by a persistent product to reinforce its disinfecting action (algaecide). Add in the proper chemicals needed to balance these levels and then move on to the next step. Step 3. Get Your Measurements Next up is testing and balancing the water chemistry. Break out your test strips or testing kit and make note of the pH, total alkalinity (TA), and calcium hardness (CH).Leave the spa open. If you can leave the cover off for a few hours, especially on a sunny day, a combination of evaporation and sunlight will help to break down the bromine faster. In short, using chemicals to maintain water hygiene in your wooden hot tub allows you to keep the same bathing water for longer. While using chemicals in your wood-fired hot tub adds convenience to its maintenance, it’s not as simple as “throwing a few tablets in the water”.